SHARJAH, (Pakistan Point News - 22nd Sep, 2021) H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC), today inaugurated the 21st edition of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum (SINF).
Organised annually by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, the event is taking place the Expo Centre Sharjah under the slogan "Animal Stories" and will run until 24th September.
Upon his arrival, Sheikh Sultan was received by Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of the Districts and Villages Affairs Department; Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture (SDC); Dr. Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the Forum; Salem Yousef Al Qasir, Chairman of the Labour Standards Development Authority in Sharjah; and Issa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah sports Council (SSC); as well as a number of directors and officials of government entities and representatives of cultural organisations.
During a tour of the Forum, Sheikh Sultan was briefed on the creative scene of living human treasures and listened to a presentation on the SINF, its journey over the past 21 years, its achievements, and its role in consolidating and strengthening the position of narrators in society.
He also met with the guests and participants and discussed the importance of continuing the preservation of narrators as living human treasures who carry within them the spirit of all the stories, tales, dreams and hopes which inspire knowledge, and serve as the intellectual and cultural supplement that humanity needs in every place and at all times.
The launch included a welcome speech and an overview of the SINF, national peace and the Holy Quran, a holographic presentation for the slogan of SINF, and a video of the Forum’s song.
Al Musallam said, "We are pleased with the presence of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi at the launch of the 21st edition of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum. The unlimited support of His Highness emboldens us to continue our serious and vital work in an effort to achieve excellence and success."
He stated that the SINF offers a distinctive cultural and knowledge journey during which cultural heritages from around the world can be explored. He stressed that several new events have been added, making this year’s SINF a truly enriching experience that adds to Sharjah’s path of success, progress, and prosperity. In addition, he said, the month of September will forever be synonymous with the narrator.
Sheikh Sultan honoured the forum's personality of this year and a group of narrators in addition to the young narrator.
The Republic of Sudan will be country-in-focus in this year’s edition of the forum and will be represented by Dr. Ahmed Abdel Rahim Nasr, the personality of the year, in recognition of his contributions to Arab cultural heritage.
Tunisian storyteller Abdelaziz Laroui will also be honoured as a legal personality in celebration of his rich storytelling legacy.
The new session of the forum includes seminars, lectures and sessions that review many important approaches to animal stories, with the participation of a group of experts, researchers and writers from more than 38 countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan, Senegal, Kenya, Comoros, India, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Bolivia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Dominican Republic, Finland, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Canada and Romania.
The SINF’s intellectual programme includes various lectures, specialised seminars, dialogues, a cultural café, and a corner for signing the forum’s publications. Sessions deal with a range of interesting topics, including the art of miniatures in Islamic civilisation, animal tongues in the Arab novel, animals in ancient Egyptian narratives, animal stories in Arab and world heritage, and many more.
This year’s forum will be accompanied by an exhibition on animal stories in the Emirati, Arab and world heritage, in addition to more than 30 different titles from the publications of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, highlighting the forum’s slogan and its richness and diversity, as well as 16 workshops, including interactive sessions which were held before the start of the forum, and were met with great interest from participants.
With the aim of introducing the forum to the public and enabling them to follow its comprehensive program of events and activities, whether outside the UAE or abroad, this year’s session includes a set of virtual events broadcast remotely, including some cultural cafe seminars, storytelling sessions, as well as live transmission of the forum In some Arab countries, via the internet and social media platforms.
